Resources - Definitions & Primary Energy Mixes

Question 1

Primary and Secondary Energy.

Answer 1

There are different types of energy

Energy comes in many different types (e.g. heat, electrical, light, chemical, potential), and although it can’t be created or destroyed, it can be converted from one type to another. Energy can be classified as either primary or secondary energy.

Primary energy refers to energy sources that are in their raw form such as oil, natural gas or running water. They are used to produce secondary energy.

Secondary energy refers to manufactured soruces of power such as electricity or petroleum.

Question 2

Primary Energyy: Renewable and Non-renewable resources

Answer 2

Primary Energy Resources can be Renewable or Non-renewable

Renewable energy resources (also known as flow or income resources) have a natural rate of availability. They yield a continuous flow that can be consumed in any given period of time without endangering future consumption, as long as current use does not exceed net renewal during the same period.

Renewable energy resources include solar power, hydroelectric power, geothermal energy, wave and tidal power, wind power and biomass sources.

Renewable resources can be subdivided into:

• critical - sustainable energy resources from forests, plants and animal waste, which require prudent management
• non-critical - everlasting resources such as tides, waves, running water and solar power

Non-renewable energy resources (also known as finite, stock or capital resources) are those that have been built up, or have evolved, over time. They cannot be used without depleting stock because their rate of formation is so slow that is is meaningless in terms of human lifespan. There is no theoretical limit on the rate of use of non-renewable resources - it depends on the capacity of society to exploit them.

Non-renewable energy resources are primarily fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal) but they also include nuclear energy.

Question 3

The Primary Energy Mixes

Answer 3

The Primary Energy Mix describes the sources of energy a country uses

Countries need energy for industry and transport, as well as for use in homes.

Many countries aren’t able to supply all of their energy needs from one source, or they might not want to for energy security reasons. They use a variety of sources instead.

The amount of each resource used is called the primary energy mix and it’s usually shown as percentages.

The UK’s Primary Energy Mix (2008):

Oil - 33%

Other - 2%

Natural Gas - 40%

Nuclear - 8%

Coal - 17%

• Over 70% of the UK’s energy supply is provided by oil and natural gas, as the UK has reserves of both of these primary energy resources.
• Since the early 1970s the UK’s consumption of oil increased due to the discovery of North Sea oil in 1969 and the growing demand for transport fuel.
• Use of natural gas has increased by 85% since 1990.
• Despite having large reserves, use of coal has fallen by 40% since 1990, due to privatisation of the coal instustry (in the 1990s), closure of mines (almost all pits in the UK have closed down since the privatisation), and the move to using less polluting oil and gas (due to clean air legislation).
• Use of renewable resources has increased, as the government aims to move towards a more sustainable energy supply. It’s still below the EU average of 6% though.

France’s Primary Energy Mix (2004):

Oil - 33%

Other - 6%

Natural Gas - 15%

Nuclear - 41%

Coal - 5%

• France has limited coal and oil reserves and most of their supplies have to be imported. Coal mining stopped completely in France in 2004 so energy production from coal is low. Energy production from oil remains high though, due to the demand for transport fuel.
• The proportion of natural gas that France uses has increased by over 50% since 1990, but is still below the EU average of 24%.
• As it has limited fossil fuel resources France began investing in nuclear power in the 1970s in order to secure energy supplies. 41% of France’s energy supply now comes from nuclear power. It’s the biggest producer of nuclear power in the EU, and the second biggest in the world.
• Most of France’s renewable energy comes from hydropower and biomass.